Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-23
The German Succession.

The German Succession.
Complications likely to grow out OF
the death of the Crown Prince of GEL
mauy-an event which the physicians
regard as being too sadly certain to
occur within couple Of years, and
likely to come sooner-will be farther
reaching in their effects than has been
supposed, should Prince Williams
health prove to be so precarious as
the New York Tribune reports it to be.
That journal publishes letter from a
correspondent in Germany, in which
is found this regarding the young
Princes health:
hear Prince William spoken Of on
all sides as likely to ascend to the
throne of Germany before the close OF
the coming winter, and numerous pre-
dictions are published as to the man
ner in which his somewhat unsympa-
thetic and hasty character is likely to
effect the future policy of the empire
and the peace of Europe. All these
coniectures are premature, and un-
likely to be realized, for there is con-
siderable doubt as to whether the
young prince will outlive either his
father or grandfather. He is suffering
in a severe degree from the same pc
culiar disease which carried off the
late King Of Prussia, after rendering
him completely insane during the last
few wears of his reign. The malady
consists of never ending succession
of abcesses in that part OF the
ear situated between the tympanum
and the base of the brain,
and the danger is ever present OF men
ingitis, and inflammation of the brain
setting in. The poor lads ears, es-
pecially the right one, are in a con-
slant state Of suppuration, which it
would be fatal to attempt to check,
and stuffed as they are with large
masses of dissolved cotton wool, his
aspect is hardly an inviting one. Every
kind of remedy, both in the
way of medicines and medicinal
baths has been tried in vain by
his thoroughly alarmed physicians.
The disease is making rapid progress,
and there seems to be no means avail
able of preventing it from affecting his
brain at time which may possibly be
somewhat remote, but which may also
be near at hand. In addition to this,
it must be borne in mind that, unlike
his father, his general health is ex-
ceedingly bad, and that his left arm is
almost useless, having been withered
since his birth.
That is certainly a most alarming
condition for the Prince, and likely to
result in grave complications in the
Empire. The Emperor is now past
ninety; the Crown Prince, by all
opinions of the medical faculty, has
less hold on life than his aged father;
and now the next in the line OF sue
cession is reported thus afflicted, and
with less expectancy of life than
either of the others. In the event of
the death of both the son and the
grandson, at the demise of the EN-
peror, a regency would be necessary.
All branches of the Guelph stem
have so married and intermarried that
q most severe test is made of in-breed-
ing-as We say Of the lower order of
animals-in their case and the results
seem to verify the correctness of med
ical opinion against this mode of mar
rying. To refer again to this practice
in the lower strata Of animal life, it is
beyond dispute that the method will
not do for long periods, nor even as a
frequent resort. A careful study of
the royal families of Europe would
no doubt lead to the same conclusion
as to the human family. Insanity is
no rare thing among the crowned
heads of Europe. Fine physical
health is far from general, and large
intellectual gifts are rarer. While the
Emperor of Germany is as perfect a
specimen of man as perhaps
the world knows, taking him for all
in all, yet he is rather the
exception, which proves the broad
rule, than an example to illustrate the
rule. This intermarriage, be it re-
membered, has gone on for great
many generations. 1t is said that the
blood of old Rollo, the Morse Viking,
runs in the veins Of every Monarch in
Europe.